What Happened When Melania Trump Gave The Obamas a Gift?!

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has revealed a little anecdote that shows how even at the highest level there's always surprises we need to be ready for. Speaking on Ellen DeGeneres' 60th birthday show in the US, she spoke about the mysterious gift that current First Lady, Melania Trump, presented her with on President Trump's inauguration day. The gift was completely unexpected and led her and her husband, the then President to have to think on the spot. She said:

"There's all this protocol. This is like a state visit, so they tell you you're gonna do this, they're gonna stand here. And never before do you get this gift... So, I'm like okay... What am I supposed to do with this gift?... No one would come and take the box, and I'm thinking do we take the picture with it?... And then my husband saved the day – see he grabbed the box and took it back inside. But everybody cleared out. No staff, no one. I was like what do you do with the box?"

It might seem like a small situation, but I'm sure many of us might have been in a similar situation where we had to think and act fast because events weren't going to plan. When we become too stuck on and reliant on protocol, or following certain procedures we can become afraid to step outside those boundaries and to think or act for ourselves. Such situations can even leave some people seemingly paralysed with fear as to what they should do.

As a leader, Ms Obama's husband showed his ability to quickly assess a situation, make a decision on the best response and take the initiative. It's developing such qualities, while having a willingness to get things wrong or be judged for stepping outside the box, that enables us to turn situations that could become much worse or more embarrassing for us around in our favour. You can read the full account from the Evening Standard here...